Dental bite apparatus



April 19, 1932.

G. E. RIZER ET AL DENTAL BITE APPARATUS Filed April 28, 19, 30

ww w 2.4 BY 156%. vslempel ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 19, 1932 UNITED s ATss PATENT OFFICE v GUSTAVUS E. RIZER, OF BURLINGTON; AND HER-MAN F. STEMPEL, 0F FOR-T MADISON,

IOWA 1 DENTAL BITE APPARATUS Application filed April 28,

This invention relates to dental apparatus and more particularly to devices for insuring a proper bite or occlusion of the human jaws which isnecessary preparatory to the construction of an artificial denture. 7

It is well known to dentists that in taking impressions of the teeth and jawswith a wax compound such as is used' by dentists that the tendency of the patient is to'throw the 9 lower jaw outwardly to an extended-and unnatural position resulting in a faulty impression which is not onlymisleading to the dentist but results, if the impression is followed, in causing a mal-occlusion of the finished 5 denture necessitating its reconstruction. The

tendency is" also to throw the lower jaw forward or to one side o-r'the other,or both forward and sidewise which of course causes a j inal occlusionof the finished denture or other restoration.

A. primary object of this invention is to overcome these objections and provide a device which will insure theefi'ective and proper q closing of the jaws in normal relationship and prevent all possibility of an erroneous impression being made. A

Another object of the invention to so construct an apparatus for application tothe H head of the patient which when secured in operative position will cause the mandible to be brought and held in normal relation with the maxilla while'the jaws are occluded, insuring the normal and regular functioning of the mandible and thereby prevent maloc'clusionand failure of the bite.

Another'object of the invention is to construct an apparatus of this kind of a series of suitably connected straps so arranged as to permitof their easy adjustment to conform 0 to various facial measurements and angles and which when applied will prevent the patient from protruding or throwing the mandible laterally or forwardly.

In carrying out these objects, the invention a is susceptible of a wide range of modification 1930. 'Serial No. 448,130.

without departing from the spiritor sacrificing any of the advantages of the claimed invention {there being shown in the drawings forillustrativepurposes a preferred and V j practical form, in which: 7 Figure 1 represents a sideelevation-of this improved apparatus shown applied;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one of the buckles used in the construction of the ap. paratus; and

Fig. 3 is a similar view ofanother'of, such buckles. a

In the embodiment illustrated the'appa ratus constituting this invention comprises a Q head encircling strap 1 adapted to pass hori zontally around the headengaging the fore head andextending down over the temples to the back of the head where it is secured by a suitable buckle-2 which adapts thestrap to fit headsof different sizes and to insure its proper fitting around the head of the patient. Another strap 3 is designed to pass around the lowerportion of the head having a chin engaging and under and to form a pocket for the chin as is'shown clearly in Fig. 1. The ends of thisstrap 3 pass backward on both sides of the mandible of the patient and to the-back of the neck where they are secured together by a suitable buckle 5. i These straps 1 and 3 are'held in proper relation toeach other and secured in operas tive position on thehead by means of a strap.

6 which passes vertically over the top of the portion tw'hich is shaped to fit over around the point of the chin head around the sides thereof crossing strapv V l at the temples and there secured to said strap 1 by tour-way buckles as 10. The strap 6 then extends downover the condyles ofthe wearer and crosses strap 3 at the angle of the mandible as shown clearly in Fig. 1. This strap 6 where it crosses strap'3 is adjustably connected with strap 8 by means of fourway buckles 10a similar to the buckles 10.-and

which provide for the easy adjustment of the straps 6 and 3 relatively to each other.

The straps from which this apparatus is constructed are preferably made of leather, although, obviously they may be made of other material, and the apparatus is placed in position on the head of the patient while the jaws are apart with strap 6 firmly held in position and passing through buckles 10 which connect it with strap 1 at the temples. The strap 6 then passes down over and against the condyles, then downthrough the buckles 10a where it is connected with the strap 3 at the angles of the mandible. The straps 1 and 3 are then securely fastened in position by means of the buckles 2 and 5.

When the apparatus is so placed on the head of the patient the mandible is held simultaneously at the heads thereof, at the angles, and at the chin,and the heads of the mandible are thereby forced and held in their normal position in the glenoid fossae of the temporal bones so that the mandible and maxilla are brought and retainedin normal relation to each other causing the mandible to function normally and regularly and prevents the pa,- 7 tient from unconsciously protruding the the spirit of the invention mandible or throwing it laterally when the jaws are occluded for taking the impression for a bite in the construction of dentures and other dental restorations.

It is of course understood that two of the buckles 10 and 10a are employed one of each on each side of the wearers head as shown in Fig. 1 and two buckles only for securing the straps 1 and 3 in position are required being those shown at 2 and 5 in Fig. 1.

Without further description it is thought that the featuresrand advantages of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art,and it will, of course, be understood that changes in the form, proportion and minor details'of construction may be resorted to, without departing from or its scope as claimed.

We claim:- v 1. A dental bite apparatus comprising a series of connected straps, one to fit horizontally around the forehead and back of the headof the patient, another horizontally around the chin and back of the neck, and another to extend across the head and intersect the two horizontal straps and be adjustably connected with them at the points of them at their points of intersection.

3. A dental bite apparatus comprising a series of connected straps to fit over and around the head of a patient, one of said straps being adapted to pass around the forehead and the back of the head having means for adjustably securingit in operative position, another strap adapted to pass around the chin and the back of the neck of the wearer and provided with means for securing it in position, and a strap to pass over the head of the wearer and to intersect the first mentioned straps in planes substantially at right angles and to be connected therewith.

4:. A dental bite apparatus comprising a series of connected straps to fit over and around the head of a patient, one of said straps being adapted to pass around the forehead and .the back of the'head having means for adjustably securing it in operative position, another strap adapted to pass around the chin and the backof the neck of the wearer'and provided with means for securingit in p'ositiomand a strap to pass over the head of the wearer and to intersect the first mentioned strapsin planes substantially the foreheadand back of the head and having means for securing it in adjusted position, another strapadapted to pass around the chin and the back of the neck of the wearer, the chin portion being slit longitu-' dinally to form a chin receiving pocket, means for securing said chin strap in adjusted position, and a strap adapted to pass over the head of the, wearer and down crossing the first and second 'mentioned straps, buckles adjustably connecting said overhead strap with said first and second mentioned straps whereby the apparatus may be securely fitted to the head of the patient to prevent malocclusion of the j aws.-

6. A dental bite apparatus comprising a series of adjustably connected straps, one to pass horizontally around the forehead to the lower portion of the back of the head with its ends adjustably connected to fit heads of different sizes, another horizontal strap to pass over and under and around the point of the chin and backward on both sides of the manible around to the back of the neck with its. ends adjustably connected, and another strap to pass vertically from over the top of the head down the sides crossing the forehead-encircling strap at the temples and the chin-engaging strap at the angle of the mandible, and fourway buckles adjustably connecting said horizontal and vertical straps at their points of intersection whereby the mandible is held simultaneously at the heads and the angles of the mandible and at the chin, the heads of the mandible being thereby forced and held in their normal position in the glenoid fossae of the temporal bones so that the mandible and maxilla are brought and kept in normal relation to each other While the jaws are occluded in taking the impression.

GUSTAVUS E. RIZER. HERMAN F. STEMPEL. 

